Prospect Info: Zach Benson, LW/C, Wenatchee (WHL), Signed ELC- 2023, 13th Overall

[Diaspora]

Unlike some, I do believe Benson gets the nine games. And as someone else said I think at worst, he gets the Shane Wright treatment. I think it really works for this guy. Mind you there are still what, seven preseason games to go I think? But you can't block elite talent and I think he's wasted as I do Savoie also having to send them back to juniors. They are wasting a year if they have to go back.

Benson may not need the Shane Wright treatment. He may be here to stay. Period.
I've said this previously and will say it again, the NHLPA voted to eliminate old vet guys and welcome in kids under the last two CBA's actually. This is the reality playing out from those deals.
Learn to deal with it. There are exceptions to every rule. Benson is one, Savoie is another. Looks to me like Savoie with an injury may get the Shane Wright treatment. But Benson may just make it on his own.

The deal with the CHL is broken.

Sorry Chainshot. This is about NHL talent even at 18 yeas old. That may not be the deal the CHL signed up for, but it is the result of the deal the NHL made and I think it's broken so I don't want to hear about the minors getting to fill their barns up with this talent. Benson and Savoie have contributed enough to filling the junior barns at this point that they should not be held back to prop them up. They've done their gig. Let them move forward. We've had this discussion in the past and we disagree. But these two guys are perfect examples of what's wrong with the system. Go back to Juniors because you missed the cutoff date by one day?
C'mon. Get a getter system!

Money talks. NHL teams should be able to buy players out of their junior agreement.

 

[BloFan4Life]

If he keeps this up I honestly do not see the point in sending him back down.

He has some horrible decisions on the power play in the second. I don't see room for him on the power play this year and he needs to get better at the decision-making process there. He absolutely needs to be sent down. I wouldn't even give him 9 games. Just let him go get comfortable where he will be spending all year with Savoie.

 

[Perry Tegula]

Benson looks like the player we all were wishcasting Reinhart to be.

 

[Matt Ress]

He has some horrible decisions on the power play in the second. I don't see room for him on the power play this year and he needs to get better at the decision-making process there. He absolutely needs to be sent down. I wouldn't even give him 9 games. Just let him go get comfortable where he will be spending all year with Savoie.

You have to love his tenacity, IQ and fearlessness. He looks like mighty mouse out there. With that, I'm good with him going back to juniors with a couple NHL games under his belt. Maybe put on some lower body mass (although it doesn't look like an issue) and take some pointers on release and shot power. I'll be excited to see him next autumn with a year of NHL preparation. Looks like a home run.

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

He might get a couple of games for fun but it's 100% lock he's going back to junior.

 

[K8fool]

Guy is an absolute puck hound. And that no-look backhand pass from the bumper to set up Skinner's PP goal was sublime.

I'll be shocked if he doesn't return to the Dub, but I can see him sticking for his 9 games if he keeps up this level of play. With another year of junior dominance under his belt, he'll be very hard to keep off the Sabres' roster in 2024/25.

Rather have that enthusiasm than any other washed entitled merc even kane , give him a shot to show sublime in real games

 

[debaser66]

Unlike some, I do believe Benson gets the nine games. And as someone else said I think at worst, he gets the Shane Wright treatment. I think it really works for this guy. Mind you there are still what, seven preseason games to go I think? But you can't block elite talent and I think he's wasted as I do Savoie also having to send them back to juniors. They are wasting a year if they have to go back.

Benson may not need the Shane Wright treatment. He may be here to stay. Period.
I've said this previously and will say it again, the NHLPA voted to eliminate old vet guys and welcome in kids under the last two CBA's actually. This is the reality playing out from those deals.
Learn to deal with it. There are exceptions to every rule. Benson is one, Savoie is another. Looks to me like Savoie with an injury may get the Shane Wright treatment. But Benson may just make it on his own.

The deal with the CHL is broken.

Sorry Chainshot. This is about NHL talent even at 18 yeas old. That may not be the deal the CHL signed up for, but it is the result of the deal the NHL made and I think it's broken so I don't want to hear about the minors getting to fill their barns up with this talent. Benson and Savoie have contributed enough to filling the junior barns at this point that they should not be held back to prop them up. They've done their gig. Let them move forward. We've had this discussion in the past and we disagree. But these two guys are perfect examples of what's wrong with the system. Go back to Juniors because you missed the cutoff date by one day?
C'mon. Get a getter system!

Lets see if he can keep this up against a full NHL lineup when the vets actually start playing seriously.
If the answer is yes, than why not, but lets not get carried away after 2 games of preseason.

 

[WiHockeyGuy]

He has looked phenomenal so far. Seems to play with the utmost confidence, which is great to see. That said, let him get some games against full NHL rosters to keep him hungry then let him cook the rest of the year, imo.

 

[Tatanka]

Nobody is hitting in preseason yet. Closer to final cutdown the games will get more physical. I will reserve judgement til then, but I think he needs more mass to last the season. On the other hand I wouldn’t send my worst enemy to be coached by Constantine so I think KA has a tough decision.

 

[Weltschmerz]

Doubt Constantine even survives that suspension.

Benson is better defensly than all the other options (including Quinn).

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

Nobody is hitting in preseason yet. Closer to final cutdown the games will get more physical. I will reserve judgement til then, but I think he needs more mass to last the season. On the other hand I wouldn’t send my worst enemy to be coached by Constantine so I think KA has a tough decision.

No joke. He is not sticking in the NHL for the year. For starters, they will want to push his team control back anyway. There is zero logic to him being in the league this year. He'd have to be ready for top 6 minutes.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

Nobody is hitting in preseason yet. Closer to final cutdown the games will get more physical. I will reserve judgement til then, but I think he needs more mass to last the season. On the other hand I wouldn’t send my worst enemy to be coached by Constantine so I think KA has a tough decision.

They can (and likely will) request that he be traded to another team.

 

[Washed Up 29YearOld]

No joke. He is not sticking in the NHL for the year. For starters, they will want to push his team control back anyway. There is zero logic to him being in the league this year. He'd have to be ready for top 6 minutes.

On the other hand, that's 1 year closer to a long-term 2nd contract before he breaks out even more=more cap

 

[Ehran]

It's preseason. Lets not get overhyped on these games.

 

[Ace]

I wonder if the people who have to run caution everyone about preseason games are aware this player has actually played hockey before this week. And entered camp as the best prospect in the pool. It feels more like people protecting their position that he actually isn’t as he outplays the other prospects against the same competition than thinking people have never watched preseason before.

We’ve watched a guy like Olofsson in the regular season. He doesn’t find his way to the areas Benson does even on accident. or get the pucks he does.

 

[Bendium]

I was admittedly not a fan of this pick, because IMO, the Sabres have drafted too many small skill guys for one team to bear. So far, Rosen and Savoie have looked the part of skilled but easily overwhelmed by bigger opponents.

Benson so far has surprised me. So far he is showing NHL level puck possession skills (minus the giveaways.) He is also showing a tenacity on the puck that half our NHL team lacks. Definitely something there to build off of.

Unfortunately, the CHL prevents both him and Savoie from going to the AHL where they could work on the next level of their game. So send them back to get stronger and work on the things that are not pro ready. Plenty to do still.

 

[Deep Blue Metallic]

I wonder if the people who have to run caution everyone about preseason games are aware this player has actually played hockey before this week. And entered camp as the best prospect in the pool. It feels more like people protecting their position that he actually isn’t as he outplays the other prospects against the same competition than thinking people have never watched preseason before.

We’ve watched a guy like Olofsson in the regular season. He doesn’t find his way to the areas Benson does even on accident. or get the pucks he does.

Nobody knows how a prospect will fare until he faces NHL competition. We're all impressed with Benson thus far.

Let's see him play in at least a few regular season games before making an even remotely meaningful assessment.

 

[NotABadPeriod]

We'll have to see how he does once the AHL camps start to open and the preseason games are more NHL vs NHL competition. One step at a time.

 

[beerme1]

Lets see if he can keep this up against a full NHL lineup when the vets actually start playing seriously.
If the answer is yes, than why not, but lets not get carried away after 2 games of preseason.

True but it's more than the two games for me. We have an opening and he has nothing to prove in going down to Juniors. His past record and performance overall since he's been here is what's driving me. Of course it becomes a problem if he fails to maintain where he's at but I just don't see it.
I see him getting more and more confidence.
Sadly for Savoie, his whole scenario is ruined now. That's a tough break.

 

[Matt Ress]

I'd prefer juniors after a few NHL games but Benny's style could also be suited for a bottom 6 role to start with the ability to move up the lineup in a pinch. Just sayin

 

[Jacob582]

He might get a couple of games for fun but it's 100% lock he's going back to junior.

no no
We don't have time for fun. Players in the lineup need to be able to help win games. Need to make playoffs.

 

[debaser66]

True but it's more than the two games for me. We have an opening and he has nothing to prove in going down to Juniors. His past record and performance overall since he's been here is what's driving me. Of course it becomes a problem if he fails to maintain where he's at but I just don't see it.
I see him getting more and more confidence.
Sadly for Savoie, his whole scenario is ruined now. That's a tough break.

I hope you re right, its a long time since a rookie not drafted 1st or 2nd overall went immediately into the line up in his draft year.
If so it also shows the necessary adaption I would like to see from a management perspective to go with the flow and not principle like the last 3 regimes did.

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

On the other hand, that's 1 year closer to a long-term 2nd contract before he breaks out even more=more cap

I don't think they think that way.

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

no no
We don't have time for fun. Players in the lineup need to be able to help win games. Need to make playoffs.

Watched Kevyn Adams in intermission. For sure goal is to make playoffs but it looks like he can live with another year of missing. All about growing.

 

[Yultron]

Watched Kevyn Adams in intermission. For sure goal is to make playoffs but it looks like he can live with another year of missing. All about growing.

We absolutely need to make the playoffs this year and we need to change the narrative and start striving for excellence.

Adam’s has now had 3 drafts with the rebuild , so start trading away future picks and get NHL talent at the deadline to make the playoff push